The Witness By Terry Lynn Thomas

‘The Witness’ is the second book in the ‘Olivia Sinclair’ series.

Teenager Ebby Engstrom witnesses a murder – and then passes out. The next morning, he wakes in his bed with no memory of how he got there, and is told his mother was stabbed to death the previous night. Thirty years later, the case has gone cold, with numerous suspects but no new clues – until Ebby starts having uncontrollable flashbacks to that night. As repressed memories surface, he questions his own role in the murder, leading to a dramatic confession and Ebby’s arrest. Family friend and attorney Olivia Sinclair is convinced of Ebby’s innocence, but the only way to clear his name is to find the real killer herself. And it seems almost everyone connected to the Engstrom family had a reason to want Cynthia dead…

This is the first book that I’ve read by Terry and it was a great book, seen from multiple narratives, that really hooked the reader in.

The story is about Ebby who saw his mother being brutally murdered but a the killer was never caught. Now, over 30 years later, Ebby is beginning to relive that fateful night with panic attacks and blackouts and is convinced that he is killer. Against, his family’s wishes, he asks lawyer, Olivia Sinclair for her help and expertise as well as Olivia’s former lover and policeman Brian to help find the killer.

This book is a cleverly crafted suspenseful thriller that really pulled me in, so much so that I read it in one sitting. The narratives seen from the alleged suspect as well as police procedural really made for compelling reading. Ebby is a fascinating character, he’s never recovered from the brutal murder of his mother and even though she treated him unfairly, longs for her killer to be brought to justice and for his conscious to be cleared. Ebby’s mother was quite an unlikable character, so there are many suspects into her death and motives behind them.

The main story is about the murder of Ebby’s mother, but another story is included with Olivia and her complicated relationship with Brian, who’s now moved onto a new lover called Leanne, who Olivia has her suspicions about. This is the second book in the series, but it’s written in a way that gives the reader enough background to the series and the characters.

‘The Witness’ is a taunt and fast paced thriller, with complex characters that hooked the reader from the first page.

You can pre-order ‘The Witness’ from Amazon and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 23rd April 2021.